Sufganiyot (Jelly Doughnuts)

This recipe is adapted from various online recipes for yeast sufganiyot, such as Bon Appetit’s, Epicurious’s, and Leite’s (which needed halving). The jelly is theoretical because I left it out at first. I also skipped any proofing steps that might have been mentioned in my sources.

There are non-dairy ingredient options to make the doughnuts non-dairy, but my frying oil was already dairy from making sonhos, so I didn’t try that. There is a break for (presumably overnight) refrigeration described at Leite’s, if you need one.

Makes 18 doughnuts.

Ingredients

Dough

2 ½ c. flour (plus more as necessary)
¾ c. warm milk or water
2 ¼ tsp. yeast (1 envelope)
1 egg
¼ c. sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ c. butter or oil
¾ tsp. salt

Nuts

oil for frying
granulated (1/3–½ c.) or confectioner’s sugar for dusting
jelly for decorating (optional)

Directions

Mix all dough ingredients except flour and (optionally) butter. Optionally, pause for any yeast superstitions you may hold.
Add flour gradually and knead to make a smooth dough. (You can use a dough hook in a small KitchenAid stand mixer set to 2.)
If using butter instead of oil, knead it in at this point.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.
Form into golf-ball-sized balls, cover with whatever, and let rise ½ hour.
Heat 4 inches of oil at somewhere between 350° and 385°F (the recipes varied dramatically on this point).
Flatten slightly and fry about 1 minute per side (turning over halfway through) until brown.
Drain on or over paper towels.
Roll in sugar. Optionally top with a small spoonful of jelly.

Variants

I haven’t tried these variants, but they sound interesting.

Add 1 tsp. cinnamon to the dough.
Add ½ tsp. zest to the dough.
Replace some liquid with brandy or orange juice (also see Sfenj in The Book of Jewish Food).